Reverence

inToledo  |  03/24/2009 7:00 am

In 1940, the Great Depression had not yet released its grip on the nation and World War II loomed like a gathering storm in the distance. Fortunately, there are people in Toledo with powerful foresight and the spirit to turn beautiful dreams into reality. Such is the case with Marie Vogt. In 1941, the founder of the Toledo Ballet Company began her first production of The Nutcracker, the beloved ballet about a young German girl who falls asleep and dreams her beloved nutcracker has become a handsome Prince.

Through the Cold War, the Space Race, Woodstock, Disco, the invention of the internet and Marie Vogt's retirement in 1989, her vision has remained steadfast. This year is the 70th anniversary of The Toledo Ballet (in 1958 it became the non-profit Toledo Ballet Association), and the 69th consecutive performance of The Nutcracker (now the longest running performance of the production in the United States).

"Marie is still Artistic Director Emerita," said Mari Davies, Executive Director of the Toledo Ballet. "She still has extraordinary energy. She's sharp, bright and committed, and she's my mentor. This is her baby and she placed it in my care. I treat it with tremendous humility and reverence."

The Toledo Ballet is older than the Symphony or the Opera, according to Davies. But rather than seeing the other performing arts institutions as competitors, the Toledo Ballet embraces collaboration. "We perform with the Toledo Opera, and the Symphony accompanies us in the production of The Nutcracker," said Davies. "We also collaborated in Arts Gone Wild last year with a dozen other regional arts institutions.

But the Toledo Ballet doesn't just perform. It is, fundamentally, a school to train the next generations of ballet performers. Classes are offered for children as young as three years old up to adult classes for those who appreciate the physical, mental and aesthetic benefits of ballet.

"There are kids who take ten classes per week," said Davies. "Since we moved into our facility at Westfield Franklin Park Mall, the parents can stay and watch the classes, or step out and visit the mall. It's a win/win. The studio space is terrific, and the students and faculty appreciate the quality of the space."

The Toledo Ballet Association has a history of turning awkward adolescents into remarkable dancers. Stand next to them and you see little children in cute costumes. But watch them perform and they stand erect and confident, as if they owned the stage and the audience. When they leap, it is as if weightlessness was their natural birthright and grace was their original state of being.

The Toledo Ballet is fortunate to have Lisa Mayer as the Ballet School Director. Mayer began with the Toledo Ballet as a student at the age of six. She excelled, won the prestigious Toscanini scholarship from Interlochen Fine Arts Camp and studied ballet in New York City with some of the best ballet instructors in the world. She was a principal with the New York City Ballet and performed on Broadway in such productions as Cats, Carousel and Beauty and the Beast.

"My husband, and I moved back to be closer to family. We have two kids and there's more for them to do here," said Mayer. "When you work with and become friends with the great dancers, you can attract them here to give workshops. I also teach dance at the University of Michigan, so that gives us access to wonderful student dancers who can perform with us."

Michael Lang Mayer's husband. He is the Marketing and Outreach Coordinator for the Toledo Ballet and a member of the dance faculty. He was in the original Los Angeles and Broadway productions of Beauty and the Beast, Cats in Hamburg, Germany; Dames at Sea; Hello Dolly in Chicago, IL; A Chorus Line, Michigan Ensemble; 42nd Street, Indianapolis, IN; Grease, Miami, FL. Lang is a rare blend of urbane sophistication and childlike enthusiasm.

"We do outreach in the community wherever we have the opportunity," said Lang. "For instance, Maumee Valley Country Day school has really opened their doors to us. As part or their curriculum, seventh graders have some instruction in dance. They learn warm-ups, basic jazz moves and the basic ballet terms and moves. At the end, they put on a performance. Last year, we did a dance from the Lion King and a Broadway Jazz number to Manhattan Transfer. They filled the Millennium Theater at the school."

"Cultural Literacy is so," said Davies. "The arts curriculum is very much endangered in schools. The arts are not even figures into the student's grade point average. It's like it never existed. Both the creative and the logical sides of the brain need to be working together."

Davies and the rest of the Toledo Ballet staff and volunteers are preparing for crowning tribute to Marie Vogt's contribution to the arts in Toledo. Called Reverence, the April 18th celebration will be an evening-long series of events, beginning with pre-performance Gala with cocktails, a dinner buffet and a toast to Marie Vogt in the Grand Lobby of the Valentine Theater. Afterward, Gala attendees will enter the theater to hear guest speakers and view a slide presentation honoring Marie.

When the door open to the public performance, attendees will see performances of some of Marie's favorite choreography from the past 70 years, including Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the Flowers and Mendelsohn's Saltorello. The performance will also include original choreography by Marie Vogt, faculty members Michael Lang and Steven Brown, and Toledo Ballet alumnus Chelsea Koenig.

"The afterglow will be a Toledo Ballet reunion with performance attendees, and current and past students and faculty," said Davies. The purpose of the event is to raise money to create the Marie Vogt Endowment Fund.

For this year's Nutcracker, the Toledo Ballet approached Make-A-Wish of Northwest Ohio to see if any of the kids would be interested in participating. Six kids leapt at the opportunity. They won't have dancing roles; they'll be in party scenes, then they'll be able to go into the audience to watch the rest of the performance.

"The Wardrobe Master will make each of the kids their own costume," said Davies. "They will also get a Toledo Ballet Nutcracker t-shirt. Dancer's Point in Perrysburg is donating dancing slippers, each kid gets a copy of the cast photo and each family gets a set of tickets to the performance."

In the past 70 years, Marie Vogt has contributed immeasurably to the arts in Toledo. Her original vision has launched the careers of numerous professional dancers who have performed throughout the world. Equally important is her contribution to the enrichment of countless lives, both on the practice floors of the Toledo Ballet's facilities, in the cushioned seats of theaters and in classrooms throughout the region. Even if you have never been to a ballet performance, you have felt her influence in the rich quality of life available to you in Toledo. It's a legacy that will last far beyond the next 70 years.

by Dennis Hicks